25% off at J. Press - Page 2

I think a man should dress as a man and not aspire to be sexless. Trad is for eunuchs. Women, most of them anyway, are attracted to men and not to eunuchs. By the way, this thread has spawned a thread over on Ask Andy titled "Too Sexy for my Trad."

[quote] Well, en garde. some of us need that boost, as it were, of clothing (tell me what you suggest, skin tight trousers and a cod-piece?) and others don't.  Surely, a gentlemen should not draw attention to himself in matters of dress?  Surely a man has not to aspire to such things.  Surely he reflects such qualities in and of himself?  At any rate, what are Trad's defencies then, from the so-called "Sexy silhouette" that you espouse?  For surely a man can naturally shoulder his own coat rather than have pads do it for him?   Pleased with that last brilliant triple pun but seeking gardels brilliant tutelage, H.

I think Teddy would disagree with you. So would Jack and Bobby, if either of them were still alive. Of course, there's a big difference between the Kennedys and the ordinary "man on the street." I'm not a "trad" fanatic (I just don't aspire to dress like William F. Buckley), but I do enjoy elements of the style. I think a lot of it has to do with time and place. The clothing I would choose wear during vacation on Cape Cod is quite different from the clothing I would choose to wear for a night out in NYC.

It's Japanese slang for traditional, conservative American dress, but with a twist. The Japanese have become THE main stream consumers of the J Press and Brooks Brothers lines, both of which have been Japanese owned for a while now. This has been true for a couple of decades in the case of J Press.

According to the New York Times, J Press sells an astonishing 85% of its mechandize in Japan. The only reason J Press keeps their Cambridge, New Haven, NYC & Washington shops open is to support the notion that theirs is still a important American line. But the present J Press has little to do with the past. You will find slanted pockets, throat latches, hacking pockets and all sorts of other oddities on their jackets that are thought to be American touches in Japan.

Just as I use a kimono as a dressing gown which has Japanese characters all over it that could well say "this way up" "post no bills" and "road hazard ahead" for all I know, Japanese notions of what is traditional American dress reflect the same kind of innocence about us.

The shift for the staff at J Press is extreme. To use an analogy from a similar kind of shift in market demographics, the Tiffany's New York office has been having trouble (allegedly) getting their minds around the fact that over half their sales last year were in the form of 'bling' sold in Southern California.

The shift for J Press is actually bigger. The center of their business is not here. It is Tokyo. The American stores have only symbolic significance now. For 15% of the trade it is barely worth keeping the doors open, save that to sell in Japan, they must maintain a US presence.

We are in an interesting moment of redefinition of all of this.

Best,

Robert

I believe BB went a few years ago from being British-owned (Marks & Spencer) to being Italian-owned (heir to Luxotica fortune).

And in the DC store at least the signs say "up to 50% off" now, up from 40% off last week.

This is your chance to stock up.

- B

i wish that, here in the US, we could buy more of the stuff sold under the J Press brand in Japan. The chinos i used to get at J Press in Kobe Daimaru are great. So is some of the stuff designed for Isetan (though the cut is probably not what American fans would approve).

not really stylish...one.

For over four years the forum has been twisting in the wind, wondering what exactly this "trad business" is all about. Thank you Lone Ranger.

I miss, Brother H.

[quote=Horace;132410]
I missed the triple pun. I guess I wasn't the audience, then.

Just bought a tie at the Cambridge location for ~$45... wished they had something in glen plaid too.

Last October I was in a J Press in New York and tried on a jacket.
It was stiff, scratchy, and boxy, with shoulders that were
nothing less than a betrayal of their old trad silhouette.

I think some of the naysayers about J. Press may be surprised if they were to go into a local store -- the D.C. store anyway. Sure, they carry classic "trad" preppy items -- blue blazers, khakis, madras, oxford shirts, multi-colored socks -- but they also carry:

-- a fantastic selection of belts
-- superb swimsuits (best selection I've seen in DC; plus, the maker appears to be the same maker for the now-defunct Sulka swimsuits)

Also, based on interior labeling, the maker of their more expensive level of shorts and slacks appears to be the same as that used by Paul Stuart. Their golf shirts are excellent too.